Someday
by half-goddess-Katia
Summary: When Eiji sees Ankh standing in front of him in the airport, Eiji can't be sure he isn't hallucinating.


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kamen Rider OOO, and I am making no money off of this. This is solely for my own and other's entertainment.

**AN:** My muse lives! This was inspired when I watched the OOO/Fourze Megamax movie for the second time ^_^ Enjoy!

**Warnings**: Spoilers for the OOO portion of the Megamax Movie.

_**Someday**_

When Eiji sees Ankh again for the first time in the airport, he isn't entirely sure he's not hallucinating. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time, he'd spent most of the year getting flashes and thinking he'd seen the Greeed in places he was pretty sure he'd never find the blonde male normally. It takes Ankh walking up to him, grabbing him by the shoulders, and shaking him – all while wearing an expression of annoyance and heavily concealed worry – before he begins to believe he isn't imagining things, even while his left hand rests in his pocket where he is carrying the broken Taka Medal.

"How are you here?" Eiji manages to half-way stammer even as he fights to urge to grab the blond, consequences be damned.

Ankh scowls at him for a moment – and wasn't _that_ a familiar look – before he says, "There's no time, come with me now unless you want some of those annoyances you call friends to get hurt."

The former rider stares at the blond in confusion for a second before it clicks who he must mean. Somehow, Hina-chan and possibly Date-san and Goto-san were in trouble, and Ankh obviously knew it and had some idea of how to help them.

"Alright," Eiji replies, setting the pole more firmly against his shoulders and preparing to follow Ankh as he had before, "where are they? You can explain what you know on the way."

In the end, he only gets the very basics out of the blonde – that there is someone who is using and may have been possessed by Core Medals, that Ankh has the OOO seal, and that they should be able to use the Core Medals the other has but they need to distract him long enough so one of them can get a shot – without any mention of how Ankh was back when Eiji was still carrying his broken Taka Medal, how the blonde knew all this, and how he'd known exactly where to find Eiji.

The plan goes off without a hitch, despite how rushed it had seemed – though there had been a brief moment right after Ankh had been attacked when he had almost blown it, but he'd trusted Ankh as he had before and the blonde had been fine – and it is oddly comforting and nostalgic to be sitting in the Cous Coussier with Ankh at the counter eating his popsicles while Eiji sits off to the side. He's almost forgotten about the still unanswered questions until Hina-chan mentions how good it is that Ankh is back again. Eiji's hand goes reflexively to his pocket, and he can't help but start to wonder exactly _how_ such a thing had come true.

Just as Eiji is about to go over to the blonde – though whether he plans to drag him off to ask questions or just drag him off to reassure them _both_ that they are both really, physically there he isn't sure – the door crashes in and they are flooded with trash Yummy that lead them, more or less, to where the Core-possessed Kamen Rider is waiting. The fight is short, but somehow the younger male – Miharu-kun he finds out – manages to overcome the consciousness of the Cores possessing him – though a quick look at Ankh tells him that the blonde also thinks that it was a bit too easy, that the Cores were just laying dormant for the moment and they get to a place where they can figure out what is going on and how to fix it.

As he listens to Miharu-kun's story, Eiji feels the missing pieces begin to fall into place. If Ankh had traveled through the same portal Miharu-kun had – or at least one like it – it would explain how he could be there – very much solidly, physically there and _not_ just another hallucination – while he still has the two halves of the broken Taka Medal in his left shirt pocket. It all makes sense, and he feels the bottom of his stomach drop out when he realizes that that means the blonde will have to leave again once everything is over – they had, after all, learned the hard way what happens when someone messes with the time line, and Eiji won't risk it if it means Ankh's existence is at stake.

Eiji meets Ankh's gaze as Miharu-kun's story finishes, and Ankh's eyes flash briefly with understanding and, so fast anyone else would've missed it, with rent – he knows that Eiji had figured it out even though he had been trying to hide it. Now is not the time to discuss it though. The Cores were still inside Miharu waiting for them to drop their guard so they could take back the Medals he and Ankh had stolen, and they need to be prepared.

Once Miharu-kun and Hina-chan both finally fall asleep, Eiji moves to sit next to the blonde. They won't have much time – not if they want to spring the trap – but even a little time is better than none.

There is a moment of silence before Eiji asks quietly, "Why didn't you say anything?" There had been plenty of chances, and had trusted that Ankh had had his reasons for not saying anything. Now that he had figured it out, he wants to know why.

Ankh snorts indelicately before replying, "Isn't that obvious?"

Eiji thinks over that for a moment before he smiles softly. Of course he understands, it is, after all, a game they had played often enough. Ankh had been worried about him getting distracted by the circumstances, so he had given him just enough so he'd figure it out when the distraction was less likely to get him killed. They had done similar things to each other countless times while they had worked together, and they had learned to trust and understand each other because of it. It still doesn't make sense to the others, but it makes sense to and works for them. Leaning against the blonde – soaking in the other male's warmth that he could feel even through the leather jacket – he replies, "Yeah...yeah, I guess it is."

There is another moment of silence before Eiji asks even more quietly, "So I take it you know then?" It isn't possible for Ankh to have misunderstood him – not between the quiet of the night and the way they sit pressed together from shoulder to hip, so familiar after that year.

The blonde is silent for a moment before he answers, "Yeah, you told me."

Eiji grins slightly as he says, "Good, then I won't say it now. I'll wait until I fix the Medal and see you again."

Ankh doesn't say anything, but Eiji can sense the smile on the other's face as he moves a bit away to lie down. That was good, he will have to wait a bit longer, but he will wait as long as he has to because he knows he will fix the Taka Medal now – not just believes but _knows. _Someday he will fix it and get Ankh back by his side for good.

After that, the plan goes off without a hitch. They are able to separate Miharu-kun from the Medals for good, and, with Miharu-kun's help, defeat they incomplete Greeed they form. With that over, Miharu-kun leaves, closing the portal behind him. As they stand there waving, Eiji feels a subtle shift in the air behind him, and he knows without having to look that Ankh had left too. This time, though, he won't mourn, he will keep walking towards the future he knows is just around the corner.


End file.
